1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to clothing, and more specifically to methods and apparatuses for retaining items in pockets.
2. Background and Description of Related Art
Articles of clothing, such as pants and shirts, often include one or more pockets for holding various devices and objects, such as wallets, currency, mobile phones, etc. However, it is relatively common for the objects and devices being stowed in these conventional pockets to become inadvertently dislodged therefrom. This is particularly true when the person wearing the article of clothing with the one or more pockets is riding on a vehicle that is traversing rough terrain with many sudden bumps. For example, if the person is riding on an off-road vehicle, such as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the wallet or mobile phone disposed in the pocket of the wearer can easily be jarred loose from the confines of the pocket, and thus, be inadvertently lost forever.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,157 discloses an easily accessible concealed pocket. A belt passes through the belt loop and the container portion has a pocket opening which is vertically aligned with the belt loop and the belt. The pocket is received between an article of clothing and the wearer such that the belt forces the article of clothing inwardly against the wearer to close the pocket opening. In this way, the pocket is concealed within the article of clothing. When it is desired to remove valuables from the container, the wearer merely moves the belt outwardly, and has access to the container. Although, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,157 operates as an accessory to articles of clothing, but does not attempt to remedy the deficiencies of conventional pockets provided in the articles of clothing themselves.
Therefore, what is needed is an article of clothing with a retention structure disposed in a pocket thereof that is capable of securely retaining objects within the confines of the pocket so as to prevent the objects from becoming inadvertently dislodged therefrom. Moreover, a pocket retention structure is needed that can be easily integrated into the pockets of various articles of clothing. Furthermore, there is a need for a pocket retention structure that is compact, and thus, does not occupy an undue portion of the overall pocket volume.